Radiator valve



A. T. ROUTHIER I .Sept. 29-, 1925. v 1,555,485

mnnron VALVE Filed Feb. 7, 1925 INVENTOR Albert TRoufhier ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 29, 1925.

ALBERT 'r. RoUTHrEIgor NEW BR TAIN, coNNnoTicUT.

RADIATOR VALVE;

Appliceitionfiled February 7, 1925. Serial No. 7,692.

' a specification.

This invention relates to air valves, and more particularly to a thermostatic radiator valve which will automatically close when the air has been expelled from the radiator;

.One object of the invention is to provide a radiator air valve of the above nature having a tubular thermostatic element adapted to close the valve when used on a steam radiator, and; also having a float; adapted to close the valve when used on a hot water radiator.

A further object is to provide a device of the above nature which will be simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, easy to install and manipulate, compact, ornamental in appearance, very effi cient and durable in use.

With these and other objects in View, there has been illustrated on the accompanying drawings, one form in which the invention may be conveniently embodied in practice.

Fig. 1 represents a side view of the improved radiator air valve.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same.

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view of the same taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring now to the drawings in which like reference numerals denote corresponding parts throughout the several views, the numeral 10 indicates the outer shell of the valve, said shell comprising a cylindrical body open at its bottom, and tapered inwardly at its top to form a conical dome 11, said dome terminating in a reduced cylindrical neck portion 12 threaded on its interior.

The neck 12 is adapted to be closed by a screw plug 13 having an aperture 14 forming an air vent. The screw plug 13 has a reduced tubular lower section 15 provided with exterior threads adapted to engage the interior threads on the neck 12.

The open bottom of the shell 10 is threaded on its interior and said shell is adapted to be screwed over a base socket 16, said base socket having a cylindrical upper portion 17 threaded on its exterior to'engage the'thread's onthe bottom of the shell 10. Below the cylindrical portion 17, thebase socketg16 is provided with a hexagonal section 18 from which extends a lateral threaded tube 19 adapted to be screwed into a tapped opening in the top of either a steam or hot water radiator, not shown. In order to. break up the rapid stream of air which is forced out of the radiator when the steam or hot water is turned on, and thus prevent premature closing of the air valve, an air distributing disc or diaphragm 20 is provided, said disc being fitted within the cylindrical portion 17 of the base socket 16 and being adapted to seatat the junction of said section 17 with the hexagonal section 18.

The disc 20 is provided near its edge with a plurality of perforations 21 as clearly shown in Fig. 3, and is also provided with a tapped central aperture adapted to receive a threaded bolt 22. The bolt 22 extends upwardl through the disc 20 and serves to center t e lower portion of a tubular thermostatic member 23. The thermostatic member 23, which may be made of any suitable metal having a high coeflicient of expansion, preferably aluminum, is relatively long and is adapted to support at its upper end a hollow float member 24.

The float member 24 is of inverted cup shape and has a tapered conical section 25, below which is a cylindrical section 26 open at the bottom. As will be evident from this construction, the float 24 will be guided in its upward movement by the cylindrical and conical portions of the outer shell 10, so that the interior movable part of the air valve will remain substantially concentric with the outer shell at all times.

In order to close the air vent 14 after all the air has been expelled from the radiator through the air valve, the upper central portion of the float is provided with a tapped hole in which is screwed an adjustable threaded valve stem 27, said valve stem having a conical point 28 at its top adapted to fit into the air vent 14 when in its uppermost position.

In order to maintain the valve stem 27 in any desired adjusted position with relation to the float 24, a lock nut 29 is provided on said valve stem and is adapted to be screwed air valve.

down manually against said float so as to lock the valve stem securely in place. By means of this construction, the valve stem adjustment cannot easily get out of order. The adjustment may be readily changed, however, after first unscrewing the outer shell and lifting it off from the thermostatic member.

In the operation of the air valve on a steam radiator, when the steam is turned on, any air which may have collected in the top of the radiator will be forced out by the rising steam. The hot steam which then surrounds the thermostatic tube 23 will cause it to expand and forcethe valve stem 27 upwardly, thereby closing the air vent 14. In case the air valve is used on a hot water radiator, when the hot water is turned on, it will gradually rise in the radiator forcing the air ahead of it out through the When the level of the water reaches the float 24, it will cause said float to rise and force the valve stem 27 upwardly into closed position.

While there has been disclosed in this specification one form in which the invention may be embodied, it is to be understood that this form is shown for the purpose of illustration only, and that the invention is not to be limited to the specific disclosure but may be modified and embodied in Various other forms without departing from its spirit. In short, the invention includes all the modifications and embodiments coming within the scope of the following claim.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed as new, and for which it is desired to secure Letters Patent, is:

In a radiator air valve, a hollow base socket, an outer shell member connected with said socket, a resilient air distributing diaphragm seated in said socket and having a central rod extending upwardly therefrom, a tubular metal expansible element in said casing resting on said diaphragm and being centralized by said rod, a. float resting on said tubular element, and a rod on said float having an upper conical portion for closing an outlet in said valve, said rod having a. lower portion extending downwardly into said'tubular element and being centralized thereby. V

In testimony whereof, I have aflixed my signature to this specification.

ALBERT T. ROUTHIER. 

